"MIRACULOUS! "... "Revolutionary! "... "Greatest ever! " We are inundated with a flood of extravagant claims as we flip the television dial or magazine pages. We are assured that these products are "new, " "improved, " "fantastic, " and will change our lives! For only a few rands we can have "cleaner clothes, " "whiter teeth, " "glamorous hair, " "tastier food, " happiness, friends, and the good life. And just before an election, no one can match the politician's promises. But talk is cheap, and we soon realise that the boasts were hollow, quite far from the truth. Christians also make great claims, and are often guilty of belying them with their actions. Professing to trust God and to be His people, they cling tightly to the world and its values. Possessing all the right answers, they contradict the Gospel with their lives! Christianity must not only be believed, it must be lived! What's the use of saying that you have faith and are Christians if you aren't proving it by helping others? Will that kind of faith save anyone? The proof that our faith is real, is a changed life! And genuine faith will inevitably produce good works. TRUTH and LOVE are frequently discussed in our world, but seldom practised. From politicians to salesmen, people conveniently ignore or conceal facts and use words to enhance positions or sell products. Perjury is common, and integrity and credibility are endangered species. It is not surprising that we have to "swear " to tell the TRUTH! And what about LOVE? Our world is filled with its words - popular songs, greeting cards, media counsellors, and romantic novels shower us with notions and dreams of ethereal, idyllic relationships and feelings. Real love, however, is scarce - selfless giving, caring, sharing, and even dying if need be. We yearn to love and be loved, but see few living examples of real love. CHRIST is the antithesis of society's prevailing values - falsehood, and selfcentredness - for HE is truth and love in Person! Therefore, all who claim loyalty to Him must be committed to these ideals, following and living the truth, and acting with love toward one another. As you reflect on these few paragraphs, recommit yourself to being a person of TRUTH, of LOVE, and of OBEDIENCE to the LORD! - Excerpts from the Life Application Bible, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 1988.